Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1529598
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 47 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he expansion of the College Foot- ball Playoff into a 12-team tourna- ment has done more than simply reshape the course of the season. It's also had an impact on recruiting. With first-round playoff games set for Dec. 20-21, the NCAA had no choice but to move up the early signing period, which this year will begin on Wednes- day, Dec. 4, and last until Friday, Dec. 6. Following the addition of four-star edge rusher Chaz Coleman of Warren, Ohio, Penn State had 26 recruits in its 2025 class. In previous recruiting cycles, that would have just about maxed-out the class, but with the NCAA expanding scholarship limits to 105 players, James Franklin and his staff have more flex- ibility this year. The new rules have resulted in quite a few senior prospects visiting in recent months. For its game against UCLA on Oct. 5, Penn State hosted several high- priority recruits, including three who are committed elsewhere: four-star cornerback Brandon Finney of Owings Mills, Md.; four-star wide receiver Lex Cyrus of Harrisburg, Pa.; and three-star linebacker Bradley Gompers of Pitts- burgh. Finney is committed to Oregon, Cyrus to South Carolina and Gompers to Duke. They're hardly the only flip prospects who will bear watching in the final weeks of the recruiting cycle. On Nov. 2, Penn State hosted three more 2025 players who are committed elsewhere: five-star quarterback Matt Zollers of Royersford, Pa. (Missouri); four-star tight end Andrew Olesh of Center Val- ley, Pa. (Michigan); and four-star USC wide receiver Romero Ison of Baltimore (USC). In addition to Coleman, who took an official visit to State College for the White Out game, the Nittany Lions hosted one other notable 2025 pros- pect that weekend in Quincy Porter of Oradell, N.J. The na- tion's No. 5 wide receiver and No. 30 overall prospect according to On3, Por- ter committed to Ohio State in June but has remained in contact with the Nit- tany Lions in recent months. Which of these players, if any, could Penn State realistically flip? That's never easy to say given that NIL money is involved in many of these decisions. As of mid-November, it appeared that Porter, Cyrus and Zollers were likely to follow through on their original com- mitments. The other three — Finney, Gompers and Olesh — appeared to be seriously weighing their options. In ad- dition, Ison informed On3 that he was considering an official visit to Penn State right before the signing period opens. If that were to happen, it would be a positive sign for the Nittany Lions. "My visit to Penn State was great," said Ison, at standout at Milford Mill Acad- emy who is listed by On3 as the No. 156 overall prospect and No. 20 wide receiver nationally, as well as the No. 5 player in Maryland. "The coaches always show tons of love and make it feel like home. … They stand pretty close to USC." Finney, who checks in at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and plays at McDonogh, appeared to be the closest to poten- tially switching his commitment as of mid-November. Following his visit, he made it clear that his contact with the Nittany Lions hadn't changed in recent months. Oregon and Michigan have also stayed in contact regularly, but multiple sources indicated that Penn State had a real chance of flipping Finney down the stretch. He's rated by On3 as the na- tion's No. 93 prospect and No. 10 safety, and the top player in Maryland. "They've stayed consistent on me," Finney said. "Their feelings about me haven't changed at all. They've been calling me and have stayed in contact the entire time. I know it's a place that has everything I need to succeed." Olesh, a 6-5, 215-pound Lions Still Looking To Bolster 2025 Class RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M FOOTBALL RECRUITING Four-star Maryland cornerback Brandon Finney joined Oregon's class last summer but is believed to be seri- ously mulling an offer from Penn State. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER Rk. School Commits 1. Ohio State 25 2. Alabama 21 3. Georgia 25 4. LSU 26 5. Texas 23 6. Auburn 28 7. Oregon 16 8. Tennessee 24 9. Miami 23 10. Texas A&M 21 15. Penn State 26 ON3 CONSENSUS 2025 TEAM RANKINGS As of Nov. 18 Three-star Pittsburgh linebacker Bradley Gompers is committed to Duke but has been receiving strong inter- est from Penn State and Michigan. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR